[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78025-78026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30303]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 2014 /
Notices
[[Page 78025]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-NOP-14-0062; NOP-14-01]
National Organic Program: Notice of Draft Guidance for Accredited
Certifying Agents, Certified Operations and Applicants for Organic
Certification
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft guidance with request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Organic Program (NOP) is announcing the
availability of a draft guidance document intended for use by
accredited certifying agents and certified operations. The draft
guidance document is entitled as follows: Natural Resources and
Biodiversity Conservation for Certified Organic Operations (NOP 5020).
This draft guidance document is intended to inform the public of NOP's
current thinking on this topic. The Agricultural Marketing Service
(AMS) invites organic producers, handlers, certifying agents, material
evaluation programs, consumers and other interested parties to submit
comments about these guidance provisions.
A notice of availability of final guidance on this topic will be
issued upon its final approval. Once finalized, this guidance document
will be available from the NOP through, ``The Program Handbook:
Guidance and Instructions for Accredited Certifying Agents (ACAs) and
Certified Operations.'' This Handbook provides those who own, manage,
or certify organic operations with guidance and instructions that can
assist them in complying with the USDA organic regulations. The current
addition of the Program Handbook is available online at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop or in print upon request.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 27, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit written requests for hard copies of this draft
guidance document to Stacy Jones King, Agricultural Marketing
Specialist, National Organic Program, USDA-AMS-NOP, 1400 Independence
Ave. SW., Room 2646--So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, DC 20250-0268. See
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for electronic access to the
draft guidance documents.
Interested persons may submit comments on this draft guidance
document using the following procedures:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Stacy Jones King, Agricultural Marketing Specialist,
National Organic Program, USDA-AMS-NOP, 1400 Independence Ave. SW.,
Room 2646--So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, DC 20250-0268.
Written comments responding to this request should be identified
with the document number AMS-NOP-14-0062; NOP-14-01. You should clearly
indicate your position and the reasons supporting your position. If you
are suggesting changes to the draft guidance document, you should
include recommended language changes, as appropriate, along with any
relevant supporting documentation.
USDA intends to make available all comments, including names and
addresses when provided, regardless of submission procedure used, on
www.regulations.gov and at USDA, AMS, NOP, Room 2646--South building,
1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC, from 9 a.m. to noon and
from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (except official Federal
holidays). Persons wanting to visit the USDA South building to view
comments from the public to this notice are requested to make an
appointment by calling (202) 720-3252.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Nally Yanessa, Acting
Director, Standards Division, National Organic Program (NOP), USDA-AMS-
NOP, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 2646--So., Ag Stop 0268,
Washington, DC 20250-0268, Telephone: (202) 720-3252, Email:
[email protected], or visit the NOP Web site at:
www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The draft guidance document announced through this notice was
developed in response to a May 2009 request from the National Organic
Standards Board (NOSB) that AMS clarify the requirements and
limitations of the general natural resources and biodiversity
conservation requirement of the USDA organic regulations (7 CFR part
205). 7 CFR. 205.200 requires operations to ``maintain or improve the
natural resources of the operation, including soil and water quality.''
Section 205.2 of the USDA organic regulations defines ``natural
resources of the operation'' as the ``physical, hydrological, and
biological features of a production operation, including soil, water,
wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife.''
This draft guidance provides examples of production practices that
support these conservation principles and demonstrate compliance with 7
CFR. 205.200. This guidance also clarifies: (1) The certified organic
operator's responsibility to select, carry out, and record production
practices that ``maintain or improve the natural resources of the
operation;'' (2) the accredited certifying agent's responsibility to
verify operator compliance with this requirement; and (3) how domestic
organic operations that participate in a USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) program and the NOP can reduce their
paperwork burdens.
II. Significance of Guidance
This draft guidance document is being issued in accordance with the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Bulletin on Agency Good Guidance
Practices (GGPs) (January 25, 2007, 72 FR 3432-3440).
The purpose of GGPs is to ensure that program guidance documents
are developed with adequate public participation, are readily available
to the public, and are not applied as binding requirements. The draft
guidance, when finalized, will represent the NOP's current thinking on
these topics. It does not create or confer any rights for, or on, any
person and does not operate to bind the NOP or the public. Guidance
[[Page 78026]]
documents are intended to provide a uniform method for operations to
comply that can reduce the burden of developing their own methods and
simplify audits and inspections. Alternative approaches that can
demonstrate compliance with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), as
amended (7 U.S.C. 6501-6522), and its implementing regulations are also
acceptable. The NOP strongly encourages industry to discuss alternative
approaches with the NOP before implementing them to avoid unnecessary
or wasteful expenditures of resources and to ensure the proposed
alternative approach complies with the Act and its implementing
regulations.
III. Electronic Access
Persons with access to Internet may obtain the draft guidance at
either NOP's Web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop or http://www.regulations.gov.
Requests for hard copies of the draft guidance documents can be
obtained by submitting a written request to the person listed in the
ADDRESSES section of this Notice.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6501-6522.
Dated: December 22, 2014.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-30303 Filed 12-24-14; 8:45 am]
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